Fluid-pressure lifting jack



Feb. 4, 1930; c. J. STEINER FLUID FRESSURE LIFTING JACK Filed m. 12. 1927 Patented Feb. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEIT CHARLES J. STEINER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN STEINEB AND ONE-THIRD TO MICHAEL LANNERS, BOTH OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS FLUID-PRESSURE LIFTING JACK Application filed August 12, 1927. Serial No. 212,385.

This invention has for its object to provide between and suitably secured to the said a fluid pressure lifting jack which is very plates 1 and 2 is a ba 3 of such material as light and, in collapsed or normal relative porubberized cotton duc k of the type used for sition of its component parts will occupy the cores of pneumatic tires, the said bag 5 very small space to thus render it convenient having a peripheral or circumferential wall 55 for inclusion in the tool chest of the average of substantially the bellows type suitably automobile and readily portable for use by formed to normally maintain itself in colwomen, girls, boys and men. lapsed condition. The top wall 5 of said bag The preferred embodiment of the invention is relatively thick and composed of a relais illustrated in the accompanying drawings tively hard but not brittle rubber or the like no wherein: which may, if desired, be reinforced with Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a layers of cotton duck, the details of construclifting jack constructed in accordance with tion of said top wall and of the bottom wall,

the invention. indicated by reference character 4, consti- Figure 2 is a central vertical section of the tuting, per se, no part of the invention. Prefsame. erably, the top wall 5 is provided withan air Figure 3 is a plan view of the same. duct 6 for connecting the interior of the bag Lifting jacks for automobiles are required 3 with the flexible hose 7, the latter being to have a working stroke equal to the diamequipped at its outer end with a tire-valve 8 20 eter of the tire of a wheel plus about one or the like so that it may be coupled with an inch. In most instances the jack to be used ordinary air chuck for admitting compressed for lifting the axle of a vehicle, is required to air to the back and may be manually operated be of relatively great length in order that to permit deflation of the bag. The inner when the base thereof rests on the ground, the diameter or mean inner diameter of the bag 25 axle engaging shoe thereof may reach ap- 3 and its end walls, must be such that air unroximately to the axle and, in the case of der pressure of substantially twenty pounds uid pressure jacks, this height requires the per square inch, will serve to expand the same whole structure to be' so large and heavy as to and lift one end portion of the front or rear be not easily disposed in the tool chest and axle of a heavy passenger automobile.

. o diificult to handle, especially by women and Obviously the expanded bag 3 will tend to girls. buckle or tip unless perfectly adjusted with Thejack of my invention consists, there respect to both supporting base and axle or fore, of two separate and distinct portions, other load and to prevent such tipping or one thereof constituting the fluid pressure buckling I provide between the plates 1 and 5 responsive element and the other a support- 2 telescopically expansible and contractible ing base therefor, the latter being, in turn, of means. In Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, I have the knock-down type constructed to be easily illustrated the structure as equipped with a assembled and disassembled and capable of plurality of such telescoping members, each b ng Packed in a Small p The fi fl of which. consists of a plurality of relative- 40 pressure responsive member, being collaps 1y short tubular members 9, 10 and 11, of reme to a length consldembly less than the spcctively different diameters, the bottom ametel of the Smallest tire used: and hiwmg member 9 being of greatest diameter and a working StrO e Sufilcienb 1156 011 Vehirigid with the bottom plate on which cles equipped with the largest diameter tires, it is supported, and the member 11 of mall- 45 aflords in itself and in conjunction with the t diameter and rigid with the plate from supporting base, a very convenient and mwhich it depends. The members 9 and 10 pact part of the necessary equipmen Of all are provided with longitudinal slots 12'and automotive vehicle. 13 and the members 10 and 11 with pins 14 The said jack comprises a base plate 1 and and 15, fitting said slots to prevent disen- 59 top plate 2, both of suitable metal. Disposed gagement of the several members from each other and limit the total length of the component structure when expanded. Obviously, the total number of components of the telescopic members may be increased and decreased as desired without departing from the invention as may also the total number and relative location of said members with respect to the bag 3.

The said telescopic members serve to prevent appreciable relative lateral movement between the top and bottom walls of the bag 3 and consequent slipping off of the load due to buckling of the bag 3.

The bottom plate 1 of the jack proper above described is provided centrally of its lower face with a the upper end of a tube 17, the lower end of the latter also receiving the central projection 18 on the top face of the base plate 19, the tube 17 being, in such instances as may be necessary, cut to whatever length may be required to adapt the whole structure for use on any given vehicle.

The source of fluid under pressure may consist of a manually operable air-pump, a power pump operated by the vehicle engine, or of a storage tank mounted on the vehicle as described in my copending application, filed September 17, 1926, Serial Number 137,842.

or purposes of further steadying the structure during inflation of the bag 3, I provide the top plate 2 at diametrically opposite points with projections 20 adapted to be engaged in hooks at the ends of the arms 21 of a fork end lever 22 which may be engaged by the operator to relieve any binding which may occur in the telescopic members due, for example, to lack of lubrication thereof.

\Vhile I have illustrated and described the end plates of the bag 3 as made of metal or other inflexible material, I wish it to be understood that a somewhat flexible material, such as rubber of about the type or kind used for the manufacture of rubber heels of shoes, may be substituted. In the claim, therefore, the term inflexible is to be construed to include any material which may be adapted to the purpose.

Thus, for example, the end plates may be constructed similarly to the treads of pneumatic tires, of thick, rubber pads reinforced with cotton-duck. This construction is so well known that illustration is not deemed necessary.

I claim as my invention:

A lifting jack comprising a base, a normally collapsed expansible bellows member mounted at one end on said base, a plate mounted upon the other end of said bellows member, said base and plate being of larger diameter than said member, a plurality of telescopically extensible elements interposed between said plates externally of said bellows member and adapted to maintain said plates parallel with each other as said bellows memprojection 16 adapted to fit into' CHARLES J. STEINER. 

